bike for the winter

reub2000

I was pondering getting a mountain bike for the winter. Just something to do for recreation and some exercise. This will be used exclusively on Chicago streets, and MUPs. I was wondering if the use of a mountain bike would be overkill and give me unnecessary rolling resistance.

I would be looking for something under $400.

threaded

Why not fit spiked tires? Way cheaper option.

janiejones

Yeah do it, mountain bikes are fun to cruise around the streets at a nice pace.

Chicago hey - is it really the "windy" city.

reub2000

Your joking right? My flatbar is better suited for normal city riding.

JM01

yep, a rigid MTB is the best for winter riding, I'm assuming that you ride in ice and snow, like me

Stay away from spiked tires, though...they're sketchy on sewer grates and any slick surface where they can't grip

i use a cheap dept. store bike...this one cost $72.96 new...lasted 5 days in the snow (cog set fell apart)...this year I'll get a better used bike

ride safe

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garage sale GT

I tried a coaster brake cruiser because of its weatherproof brake, full fenders,chainguard, and simple reliability. Its mild steel may actually be more rustproof than some grades of aluminum, but both generally depend on a coat of paint or oil as well as cleanliness to prevent rust.

It worked very well but limited speed to around 10 mph in foul weather, or slower when you have to battle your way over snowy footprints and the street is too dicey.

I discovered that a repack per season may be enough for the hubs but ruined a BB, so you'd have to clean and repack. However, Ashtabula bb's are under $10. You will have to clean and repack all bearings unless you discover a brand which comes with sealed bearings. I think many cheap mtbs do but not the very lowest ones.

I got rid of it because in dry weather, hard braking was enough to pull the rear axle out of line and cause chain derailments due to lack of tension.

If you go MTB, you will have to find a way to keep it dry or store it outside. If it gets wet and freezes, nothing will work including brakes.

I did a regular 10 mile commute on mine; you just have to refine your concept of how fast to go or how early to set out. As for excercise, you want resistance.

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garage sale GT

Supposedly, New Yorkers found Chicago folk boastful, i.e. full of wind.

However, one of the local papers ran a story a few winters ago claiming expatriate Muscovites prefer the weather in their city even though it is usually ten or twenty degrees colder on average, because there is less wind and wet.

Reub2000, keep road salt in mind. It can really eat stuff up unless you have a place to wash your bike regularly. Some stuff on an MTB is bare steel or anodized. Some folks try to keep an unwashed bike together longer by storing it outside, where the cold weather slows chemical reactions.

Also, when I go to the Loop, I sure see a lot of u-locks attached to just a part of a bike...............

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Your mouthwash ain't makin' it.

rtd131

Go to performance bike in chicago (sweet deals). Check out the GT 3.0 disc. It has all shimano components (i prefer SRAM) and is relativly inexpensive. If you want SRAM, get a '06 schwinn mesa GSD. it has a rock shox fork, and discs